1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of golf putters. More particularly, this invention is a golf ball putter head configured to retrieve and retain a golf ball.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of golf, it is desirous for several reasons to be able to retrieve a golf ball without bending over. Once a ball has been hit into a cup, it is also desirous to remain as far away from the cup as possible in order to cause minimal disturbance to the green immediately around the cup. This is, for one reason, to maintain the green for golfers to follow. It is also desirous in certain circumstances to retrieve a ball from the green surface, from a deep rough, from a water hazard, or from other locations where bending to retrieve the ball may be difficult.
In any of these situations, the golfer may have a physical disability, injury, or other limitation that prohibits—or at least makes difficult—bending over to pick up the ball. Such golfers are limited in their ability to play in that they may require another golfer or a caddy to retrieve their ball, or they may be prohibited from playing altogether.
Similar situations arise for those same golfers when retrieving a golf club or flag stick laying on the ground. It is well known that many golfers carry more than one club when leaving the golf cart and playing toward the green. For example, a ball having a lie in a sand trap requires a sand wedge. However, once the ball is hit onto the green, the golfer will require a putter. Depending on the particular hole, it may also be desirous to carry a pitching wedge. Instead of having to walk back to the cart to exchange clubs, the golfer will often take both clubs and lay down whichever club(s) not in use.
It is also common to remove the flag stick from the hole and lay it on the ground away from the hole once the hole is in the golfer's sight when addressing the golf ball for a putt. Golfers with physical disabilities or limitations often find it difficult to bend to retrieve golf clubs and flag sticks that are lying on the ground.
Several combined putters and golf ball retrievers and/or holders have been provided in the prior art. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No.Inventor(s)Issue DateD257,869A. S. O. MacDougallJan. 13, 1981D364,666E. NagyNov. 28, 1995D388,853R. W. MinamiJan. 6, 1998D402,724R. W. MinamiDec. 15, 1998D424,145R. W. MinamiMay 2, 20001,960,110A. S. IlesMay 22, 19342,465,124S. QuattrinMar. 22, 19493,300,241F. D. Eberwein et al.Jan. 24, 19673,374,027C. D. JacobsMar. 19, 19683,632,112C. D. JacobsJan. 4, 19723,708,172J. F. RangoJan. 2, 19733,841,639F. D. WernerOct. 15, 19744,248,430D. L. KeplerFeb. 3, 19814,580,784E. F. BrillApr. 8, 19864,934,702S. SerizawaJun. 19, 19904,976,436S. SerizawaDec. 11, 19905,102,139R. S. GreigApr. 7, 19925,368,302F. L. ThomasNov. 29, 19945,417,426S. L. BayerMay 23, 19955,485,999H. L. Hull et al.Jan. 23, 19965,524,889R. RushJun. 11, 19965,628,696J. E. FryeMay 13, 19975,692,968R. S. ShineDec. 2, 19976,332,457R. A. KleinNov. 27, 20016,435,975N. M. MiddletonAug. 20, 2002
Of these patents, the '869 design patent issued to MacDougall illustrates a golf club head defining planar parallel top and bottom surfaces. A cylindrical opening is vertically oriented and centrally disposed in the club head. There is no disclosure as to the function of the opening. The club head defines a planar face and a semicircular trailing edge.
Similarly, the '666 design patent issued to Nagy defines a triangular club head having a centrally disposed opening. However, Nagy illustrates a curved bottom surface. Further, the centrally disposed opening defines a substantially hemispherical configuration. Like the MacDougall club head discussed above, there is no disclosure as to the function of this opening.
Minami ('853 design, '724 design and '145 design) discloses several golf putter heads configured to retrieve a golf ball. Each club head defines a through opening defining a substantially cylindrical side wall through which the golf ball is received.
The '110 patent issued to Ilies discloses a golf club having an opening in the sole of the head for retrieving a golf ball. A flexible annular disc is disposed in the opening such that as the club head is forced down over a ball, the disk is deformed to allow the ball to pass through. After the ball passes through the annular disc, the disc returns to its original shape and holds the ball above the opening. There is no disclosure as to whether the ball is retained once received above the annular disc.
S. Quattrin, in the '124 patent, discloses a club similar to a golf club designed to retain a ball such as a golf ball. The '124 club is designed to release the ball at a certain point of a swing so that the ball is thrown from the club head in the direction of the swing. The '124 club is disclosed as being useful in practicing the user's golf swing. There is no disclosure for retrieving and retaining a golf ball.
The '241 device disclosed by Eberwein et al, is a golf ball retrieving device having two oppositely disposed striking surfaces. A dome shaped pocket is defined in the bottom surface of the head for partially receiving a golf ball therein. A compression spring is provided to retain the golf ball when received in the pocket. The ball is removed by applying tangential pressure on the golf ball.
In his '639 patent, Werner discloses a golf ball retrieving club similar to that of the '241 device disclosed by Eberwein et al. However, in lieu of a compression spring, Werner incorporates a flexible tubular member for retaining a golf ball in a golf ball receptacle.
The '027 golf ball retrieving club disclosed by Jacobs includes a golf ball holding cavity. The golf ball holding cavity defines rigid walls spaced apart a distance to slightly compress a golf ball inserted therein. The cavity is elongated such that a ball retained therein is removed by rolling to ball toward an end thereof. Thomas ('302) discloses a golf putter including ball retrieving device similar to that disclosed by Jacobs ('027).
In his '112 patent, Jacobs discloses a golf ball retrieving club defining a gall ball holding cavity extending completely through the putter head and further opening on the rear wall of the club head. The wall of the cavity is tapered inward from the bottom to the top to compress a golf ball when received therein.
Rango, in his '172 patent, discloses a golf putter having a generally vertically extending opening having a circular cross section extending entirely through the head. The hole is dimensioned to match or be slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball and is provided for dividing the head into substantially equal masses in order to counterbalance tendencies of the head to twist when the ball is struck at a location other than the center of the head. The hole is further provided to serve as a gauge for measuring the diameter of a ball, and to detect the roundness of a ball. Middleton (975) discloses a golf club similar to that disclosed by Rango ('172).
Kepler ('430) discloses a golf putter including a club body and a shaft connected to the club body. The club body includes a rear golf ball retrieval-retainer structure which includes at least one hook-shaped arm extending from a lower rear side of the club body. The hook-shaped arm lies in the phantom extension of the lower surface plane passing through the lower surface of the club body. The retrieval-retainer structure is used by sliding the hooked-shaped arm(s) under the golf ball and then lifting. The golf ball then rests on top of the hook-shaped arm(s). Brill ('784) and Shine ('968) disclose devices similar to that of Kepler.
Serizawa, in his '702 and '436 patents, discloses a putter for enabling picking up a ball within a hole in a standing posture. The putter head defines a circular hollow portion adapted to receive a golf ball by pushing the club downward on the ball. The elasticity of the surface of the ball and the friction between the ball and an inner peripheral edge of the circular hollow portion of the head abutting the elastic surface of the ball serve to retain the ball.
Greig ('139) discloses a golf putter provided with means for enabling a ball to be lifted and replaced while the golfer remains in an upright posture. The putter head includes a pair of resilient tangs extending therefrom. The tangs have a spacing slightly smaller than the diameter of the ball and have convergent ends. The tangs are traveled down along opposite sides of the ball to a position below the center of the ball in order to grip the ball for lifting. To replace the ball on the ground, the putter is engaged with the ground, with the ball positioned at a desired location. The golfer uses his/her foot to engage the ball such that when the putter is lifted, the ball becomes disengaged from the tangs.
In the '426 patent, Bayer discloses a golf putter having ball retrieval and ball marking features. The '426 putter defines a through opening having a side wall tapering in from the bottom to a distance above the bottom, then tapering out from to the top. A reduced diameter is defined at the point the taper changes direction. A ball may be passed through the reduced diameter and received in the upper portion of the opening.
Hull et al., ('999) disclose a golf putter including a golf ball retriever and ejection system. A recess is defined in the lower surface of the club head for receiving a portion of a golf ball. A rubber ring is provided at the opening to retain the ball in the recess. An ejection means including a plunger is provided in the top of the club head. When a ball is received in the recess, the plunger is extended above the club head. The ball is then ejected from the recess by pushing on the plunger.
Rush ('889) discloses another putter having a ball receiver. The '889 device defines an opening for receiving a golf ball. The wall of the opening is described as either defining a tapered arrangement similar to Bayer ('426) described above, or including a rubber gasket as disclosed by Hull et al. ('999). A retaining element is carried by the top of the club head for retaining the ball after being received through the opening. To remove the ball from the club head, the ball is forced back through the opening.
Frye ('696) discloses a golf putter having a ball retrieval device configured similarly to that disclosed by Nagy ('666 design). However, Frye does not disclose an opening in the top of the club head. Frye teaches, on the contrary, that the ball is received and held in the ball retrieval device by applying the weight of the golf club on the ball, the ball being held by friction.
Finally, Klein ('457) discloses a golf putter head with a cutout for engaging and retrieving a golf ball. The cutout extends perpendicularly through both the front face surface and the rear surface of the putter head and has an upper surface and a pair of flat, opposing walls that terminate in lower edges to form an opening for receiving a golf ball into the cutout. The cutout walls are tapered toward each other at their upper edges to form a self-holding taper for engaging the golf ball. The cutout is positioned in the heel section of the putter head so that the cutout opens vertically through the sole of the putter head, or horizontally through the heel of the putter head, or at any angle between the vertical and the horizontal.